News Roundup 23 December 2021
Dec 23, 2021 • 4 min Read
Funds depleted? Government still has P2 billion in calamity fund | PHILSTAR.COM – An official of the Office of Civil Defense bared Thursday that the national government’s pool of funds for calamities still stands at P2 billion, contrary to President Rodrigo Duterte’s statements that disaster response funds have been depleted. “We still have a balance of around P2 billion,” OCD Operations Service director Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro told the House transportation panel. “We still have P1 billion, and then another billion given or allocated to local government units.” “To make the long story short, we still have money available in our disaster funds,” Rep. Isidro Ungab (Davao City) said partly in Filipino during the hearing. Acting Budget Secretary Tina Canda earlier said that the government can tap into the remaining P2 billion in the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Fund and another P2 billion from Duterte’s contingent fund to fulfill the president’s pledge to find P10 billion for the response to the onslaught of Typhoon “Odette.” Canda said that P4 billion still remains in the NDRRMF, but the government does not want to use it all up just yet for its response to the typhoon. Duterte had claimed twice that government funds are “immensely depleted” which he first blamed on the government’s COVID-19 response before saying that it was because money was allocated to help victims of Odette. As expected, Malacañang had to clarify the remarks of the often brash Duterte, saying on Wednesday that the president only said this to illustrate the challenge before the government.
Senators seek accountability over P1.4-T in projects flagged as stalled, idle |PHILSTAR.COM – Two senators on Thursday said government agencies should be held accountable for P1.44 trillion in infrastructure projects flagged by the Commission on Audit as delayed, abandoned and idle. “We have P1.44 trillion funds for various infrastructures sitting somewhere while thousands of families have no homes and food this Christmas,” Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said. “We have these mammoth funds for projects that are stalled for years while the government is saying it is scrimping on funds to provide immediate aid to typhoon-affected cities, municipalities and provinces.” In its consolidated annual financial report for national government agencies for 2020, COA said various infrastructure projects implemented by 17 agencies “were either not executed in accordance with the plan, with noted deficiencies, not completed on time [or] not completed at all, which may result in waste of government funds or delayed enjoyment of project benefits.” “This is sheer delinquency and criminal neglect,” Drilon, a former justice and executive secretary, stressed. “What a total waste of public funds.”
SC stops Comelec from denying two more party-list groups accreditation | INQUIRERE.NET –The Supreme Court (SC) en banc has issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the decision of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to deny the accreditation of two party lists in next year’s polls. The party-list groups, in their petition, had asked the high court to review the decision of the Comelec dismissing their petition for registration as a party-list group, and in denying the latter’s motion for reconsideration.” In two separate orders posted on Twitter on Thursday, the SC granted the petition for TRO sought by Ang Programang Aasenso Taumbayan – Dream, Act, Participate and Advocate for Sustainable Transformation (Apat-Dapat), and Ugyon Mangunguma, Mangingisda Kag Mamumugon Nga Ilonggo (Uma Ilonggo).
PH FDA authorizes Molnupiravir for emergency use | Manila Bulletin – The Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted emergency use authorization (EUA) to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) treatment pill developed by pharmaceutical company MSD (also known as Merck). “Ito po yung Molnupiravir na ang kaniyang brand name ay MOLNARZ. Ito po ay licensee ng MSD (It is the Molnupiravir whose brand name is MOLNARZ. This is an MSD licensee),” said FDA Director-General Rolando Enrique Domingo on Thursday, Dec. 23. “So far, naka-comply po [sila] doon sa ating mga requirements ng (So far, [they] have complied with our requirements for) safety, efficacy and quality,” he added. Domingo noted that this pill will only be given to individuals who have mild or moderate COVID-19. “Ito po ay pinapayagan nating ibigay sa mga pasyente with mild to moderate COVID disease so hindi po ito puwede sa mga severe o iyong mga nangangailangan na ng oxygen (We only allow it to be given to patients with mild to moderate COVID, so it is not for those who have severe [COVID-19] or those who already need oxygen),” he said. “Ito ay puwede lamang ibigay sa mga adults 18 years old and above na positive po for COVID-19 and mayroon pong risk factors for developing severe illness katulad po ng mga senior citizen o iyong mga may comorbidities (It can only be given to adults who are 18 years old and above who are positive for COVID-19 and have risk factors for developing severe illness such as senior citizens or those with comorbidities)– who are at risk of going into severe COVID,” he added.
